Paul Smith owes his life to the Great North Air Ambulance and his colleagues staged a live music charity event to raise funds for the service.

Paul, 45, an engineer for Stagecoach North East, was involved in a serious road traffic accident on 21 October 2007. Driving home on his motorbike from Carlisle along the A69, he was struck by a car that had been hit by another vehicle and sustained massive injuries.

Fortunately, a passing car with a surgeon and nurse on board stopped to help and managed to stabilise Paul and call the emergency services. Due to the location of the accident and the fact that a female passenger in the car was also seriously injured, the Great North Air Ambulance was called and lifted Paul and the lady to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

Paul underwent emergency surgery to repair a ruptured Aorta and was then treated for multiple broken bones in his legs, arms and ribs. Lucky to be alive, he is now undergoing intensive therapy but is expected to make a full recovery.
His colleagues at the Stagecoach Walkergate depot in Newcastle wanted to show their support for the Air Ambulance crew and planned an evening of live music at the Shieldfield Club on Saturday 29 December 2007.

The event was a huge success and raised £890 for the Great North Air Ambulance. Paul’s employer, Stagecoach North East, also agreed to match fund the total raised on the night to further boost the donation to £1,780.

John Conroy, Managing Director for Stagecoach North East says: “Paul is a valued member of our workforce and I am pleased to see his colleagues rallying together to thank the service that saved his life. The Great North Air Ambulance is a unique operation that has helped thousands of people across the region and is a worthy cause that we are happy to support.”